My Mother’s Invisible Shield (RA Stephens, illus Jasmine Berry, Wombat)

Mothers have special powers, and RA Stephens’s My Mother’s Invisible Shield explores this idea in a light and humorous way. The story follows a curious school-aged child who conducts a series of cheeky experiments to test their mother’s ‘shield’. Somehow, their mother always knows when they’re there and when they’re up to trouble. The shield seems to be infallible and can’t be pierced. They can’t sneak food off the bench or sneak up behind her and scare her. On one spread, at the museum, the child is inspired by the exhibits to wonder if their mother’s shield is like an astronaut suit or invisible feathers, giving the reader many ways to imagine the concept. In the end, the child reveals their tried-and-true way to get through the shield: seeking comfort from their mum. It’s a sweet and touching moment. There’s a subtle secondary story in the illustrations, as the mum also juggles a younger child who needs a lot of attention and care, which gives the protagonist a well-rounded motivation. Jasmine Berry’s illustrations are bright and sweet, with some cute background characters making repeat appearances. This would be a fun book for a mother and child to share and, based on the conceptual nature of its storyline, it is suitable for early school-aged kids and savvy older toddlers.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Angela Meyer is an author and lecturer in writing and publishing at RMIT. She is a former publisher and bookseller. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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